A Weapon
by mattavocadoatlaw
Summary: Hela is in desire of a weapon.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Thor belongs to Marvel and the Vikings, not me.

Hela is in desire of a weapon. Not a sword or a knife, but a being she can use to escape her prison, this Hel she is to call home for all eternity. It is a dark, gray land, with mist covering every corner. There is no light for the lost; no light for those the Allfather has cast aside.

 _Your father,_ her mind reminded her, _you were his firstborn, yet he locked you up as if you were nothing_. As if she wasn't the reason Asgard is shining with gold and glory. Odin, a man who has waged more wars than any living being, dares to call her out on her violence. She has only done what he had asked of her, yet she is the one who must suffer. Hela knew she will never hate another man like she hates the King of Asgard. She is aware that she will break free after her father's death, but Hela also knew the old man. He will turn everyone against her, and she is aware even she might not be able to withstand Asgard's might. Not alone.

There is one saving grace to her imprisonment, however. She is able to break free, although not at full strength. The last time she tried that, she'd been defeated by the Allfather after slaughtering his best warriors. But she can send part of herself, a tiny fraction of her power to the outside world. It is not much, as she is only a little stronger than a ghost, but it is much better than the wasteland she finds herself in.

Besides, it wasn't about escaping. It was about planning. Hela must prepare for her eventual escape, and she must ensure there will be at least one person on her side.

For that, she did what she always had done, and sent a piece of her outside Hel and into the rest of the Nine Realms. There was war. The Jotuns had convinced themselves to be stronger than the Aesir, and attempted to cover all of Midgard in ice and snow. Hela can appreciate that; seeing the mortals frozen in fear and pain had been one of the best experiences she'd had on that realm. Odin of course came to the Realm's defense, and came with his army to stomp down any dissent from the Frost Giants. Hela scoffed. Her new brother's birth had softened him more than she thought.

She'd journeyed all the way to Jotunheim, with its gleaming crystal buildings and shiny ice castles. That wouldn't last. Once they lost, she knew what Odin would do-steal their Casket and let them rot. Just as he'd done to her.

But her plans did not revolve around saving the Frost Giants. Hela couldn't care less of the fate of the creatures. Her purpose was simple, to prepare. She approached the palace cloaked in an illusion of invisibility, a trick her mother-no, _Frigga_ \- had showed her. Once she reached the main gates, she revealed herself, and said, "I must see your King."

The Jotuns looked around, bewildered. Here was an Aesir woman, announcing herself to the enemy. They must've thought she was a fool. But they complied, and brought her inside, though she was surrounded by guards. Once inside the throne room, one guard said, "My King, we have apprehended this Asgardian woman. What should we do with her?"

Laufey glanced her, his red eyes taking in every inch of her body. "Ah, Princess," he rumbled, "how nice of you to visit." He recognized her. Of course. Odin could manipulate the memories of his own people, but not the Jotuns. They were far too different for that to work. "Leave." All his soldiers scrambled away at his loud voice.

"Now," questioned Laufey when they left, "why are you here? Shouldn't the Chief Executioner be aiding her father?"

She glared at him. "Odin has cast me aside. I owe no loyalty to him. My only wish is to reclaim my birthright."

The Jotun King continued to stare at her with his red eyes. He was analyzing her, trying to search for trickery, for deceit. Smart of him to do so. "And how is coming to me going to do that? You aren't here at full power, are you? The Gatekeeper would have certainly noticed otherwise."

Heimdall was the main reason she couldn't leave Hel at full power. He would've caught her in an instant. Sending a weakened fraction of her being was the only way. "I am here," she said, "to offer advice. Odin is dead to me. I want to see him fall, as well as the rest of my _family_."

Laufey laughed. "Well, if this isn't a beautiful beginning to an alliance."

Over the next few months, she offered advice to the Frost Giants. She pointed out old weaknesses of the Asgardian armies, and told the Jotun generals the plans Odin was most likely to make. "He is tricky," she warned. "He is a liar, a manipulator. Never trust anything he says or does."

Of course, the same thing could be said for her. Her information was useless. Her advice wasn't helpful. But she portrayed herself as a traitor to her people, one hardened by bitterness and betrayal. They were willing to listen to anything she had to say. Her main concern was Laufey. He was the reason she made this whole excursion in the first place.

"My Lord," she told him when they were alone. "You are lonely."

He scoffed. "My wife is dead." Farbauti, his queen, had died giving birth to her second son. It was a loss he'd never thought he would experience. Losing her was the most difficult thing he'd ever gone through.

"I know." Hela whispered. "It must be so hard, to lose the ones you love. But, if I can make things better, for just a second..."

Laufey laughed. "Does the Goddess of Death wish to be my _bedmate_?"

She raised her head, showing him her beauty. Hela was aware of her looks, it was another power she held over others. "Before, on Asgard, I was never allowed to be with anybody. Odin only let me be a weapon." Stories like that were perfect ways to get others to her side. She hadn't pursued any relationships, but it was because she didn't want to.

But Laufey appeared to take the bait. He leaned down, and whispered, "I know what it feels like to hurt by the Allfather, Princess."

Hela had gone through many things. War, conquest, being locked in an eternal prison, and having to watch her father enchant his own people to forget about her existence. But it would all be worth it. Soon, she would look down at all the Realms as their Queen. And Odin-she would either watch him die, or kill him herself. There would be no other way.

She looked down at what she held in her arms. It would be her key to defeating the Aesir, and taking her birthright as she was born to do. Her weapon would ensure of it.

Hela walked closer to the temple. Odin had all but won. She'd left Laufey as soon as she acquired what she needed. There was no reason to stay and let the Allfather find her. But before she returned to Hel, she had to do this one thing.

She ripped open the temple doors and walked in. The Casket sat on the altar, its power lighting up the room. She snorted. The so-called "Heart of Jotunheim," was the weakest relic she'd ever seen.

There was shouting outside. Odin and his armies were approaching. She had to get this done fast.

"Goodbye, my son," she said. The baby continued to wave his arms happily, babbling nonsense she didn't even try to understand.

Her son. Her weapon. Hela knew her father had grown soft, but he was still smart. If he came into the temple and found the abandoned son of Laufey, as indicated by the family markings, he would not leave the child. He would take him to use.

But this relic wouldn't belong to Odin. No, he would be Hela's. She would whisper into his ear, sow thoughts of betrayal and discord in his mind. He would rebel against the Aesir, and his power would weaken them. She smiled. Once she was free, her son would come to her aid.

After all, what son would betray his mother?

AN: So, I wrote this fic because I believe the theory that Hela is Loki's birth mother. They just look really similar, plus I like the idea of Thor and Loki being uncle and nephew as well as brothers. So I figured the way that could work was Hela could send a tiny piece of herself outside of Hel to interact with the outside world (kinda like how Frigga can send a projection of herself into Loki's cell, but in this case Hela is a flesh-and-blood person. Odin also has no idea Loki is his grandson, and Laufey didn't even know he had a kid with Hela. Anyways, please leave any criticism in the comments, and thanks to anyone who read this!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Still don't own Thor

 _"Goodbye, my son."_

 _It is cold. The frost clings to his skin, biting at him, yet he feels nothing. There is a woman, with green eyes and dark hair, whispering these soft words in his ears._ Mama, _he thinks,_ why are you saying goodbye?

xxx

"Loki!" The boy is snapped back to reality with the mighty boom of his brother's voice. "Where are you?"

He couldn't help but giggle. He's been planning this for months, perfecting his shapeshifting, all for this. The rest of his pranks couldn't possibly compare to this. This is his magnum opus, his masterpiece.

Loki concentrates on his body. He is Aesir-four limbs, tiny stature (compared to monsters like the Frost Giants,)-but that shall be no more. He reaches out to his magic, commanding it to _change_ him.

The effect is instantaneous. Gone are his limbs, his face, and his pale skin. He has become a snake, just like Thor's favorite animal. He doesn't even try to move like this. Loki merely waits as Thor takes the bait, as he always does.

"Loki-" he gasped. "A snake!" The young prince moved toward the animal, reaching out to pick it up. "I can't believe I found a snake! Let me take you home with-"

And with that, Loki lets go of the magic keeping in his reptilian form. He leaps out, trying to grab Thor. The other boy stumbles as he realizes what he's picked up is no snake. Loki laughs, and out of nowhere, a sleek, black knife appears in his hand. They fall to the ground, and the knife slides into Thor's chest. Suddenly, there's blood on his hands, and his brother's scream fills the garden.

"I didn't mean to." He tells his parents later. "The knife-it just _appeared_. I didn't mean to hurt him, I swear."

His father gripped his spear, and Loki can even see the veins on his face. He shared a worried glance with his wife, who was off to the side, tending to Thor. His father takes another look at the knife in Loki's hand. He grabbed it, and whispered, "Just like her. He's just like her."

"Father?" He interrupts. "Who are you talking about?"

That seemed to snap Odin out of his reverie. He held Loki's shoulders, and said in a low, dangerous voice, "Never do that again, son. Never."

xxx

 _The Allfather has always feared power. He has always tried to lock those above him away, never to be seen again. Take care to ensure that never happens to you, my dear._

xxx

Magic is a tricky, complicated thing. It is energy and life itself, binding the universe together through woven threads. He was training with his mother in the gardens, though that time, they were working on fire magic. For some reason, it was extremely difficult for him, though he had no idea why. No matter what he did, he couldn't get a single spark to come to life.

"Fire is warmth, Loki," instructed Frigga, "focus on that warmth."

He tried pulling on his seidr, telling it to _burn_. But the pit of magic did not change the slightest bit. Loki felt the frustration building up in his chest. He'd mastered complex arts such as illusion and ice. Why was fire so difficult for him? He couldn't even succeed in magic, his supposed area of expertise.

Frigga didn't respond to his grunts of annoyance. She merely took his hands, and said, "My darling, don't you think you should go inside? Maybe fire just isn't your specialty."

He furiously shook his head. "I am not giving up on this, Mother. Not until I'm the best." For Odin would never want anything but the best, never want anyone but Thor.

As he left Frigga's garden, he swore he felt someone watching him. But as he turned around, all he saw was a flash of black and green.

xxx

 _She wants to hold you back, boy; she desires to restrain your talent. After all, who would want the shadow to upstage the firstborn?_

 _Not that you could ever do that anyway._

xxx

Weapons training is by far the worst experience he'd faced so far. Every day he had to rise at the crack of dawn, go down to the training field, and endure being beaten by Thor or one of his friends. No magic was allowed on the field, and Loki wasn't willing to risk his father's wrath to even try it.

"You can't win using your tricks in a real battle, Loki," Thor had told him. "A real warrior fights with honor!"

"Honor is not necessary in a fight, brother," he spit out, "battles are never fair. What you have to do to win, you do."

His brother didn't seem to get the message. He swung his hammer yet again; Loki scrambled to dodge. He unsheathed his sword and tried to parry the hammer's blows away. He could sense a crowd gathering around the fight. Loki grit his teeth. He would not fail in front of practically everyone in Asgard.

Thor continued to press on, his hammer crackling with electricity. Loki tried to summon his strength, but Thor pressed on. Eventually, he fell to the ground, defeated once more.

"Good try, brother!" Thor was oblivious to his humiliation. "Maybe next time I shall be at the other side of the blade."

"How inspiring." He muttered. And when Odin congratulated Thor once again, he forced a warm smile to show on his face.

xxx

 _Shameful. You are a weapon, yet you fail whenever you pick up a blade._

 _Who are you?_

 _I am your creator. I am your everything._

xxx

Thor was going to be crowned king. This was everything's he has ever feared-that oaf on the throne, with no one standing equal against him. Asgard would fall. The Nine Realms would fall. And it would be Loki's fault, since it was apparently his job to keep his brother in check.

"You are to be his advisor, my son." Odin told him. "You have always supported him. And you shall support him through this as well." Advisor-an honorable position, but it is one without recognition. Loki will be forced to clean up after all his messes, and he will receive no praise for keeping the Realm stable. He doesn't care about the power; a throne would only chain him down. But he was unworthy of the throne-unworthy of Odin's pride.

"Father," he began, "are you sure Thor is ready? You are still healthy; waiting a century could not hurt, could it?"

His words did not sink through. "You were born to be a king, Loki. But there is only one throne."

"I'm aware. But maybe-"

"Loki. There's something I need-" He stopped. Odin shook his head slowly, then quietly said, "You must watch over your brother, Loki. Keep him safe."

xxx

 _You cannot let him be king._

 _Of course not. But what should I do?_

 _Create chaos. It's what you were made to do._

xxx

Loki was the Lie-Smith. The Silvetongue. Words are his domain; he was infallible when it came to bending people to his will, convincing people he was right, no matter the situation. But his father-no, Odin-has dethroned him in that regard. Every word the man has uttered to him is a lie. He was not Loki Odinson, second prince of Asgard. He was Loki, son of no-one, left to die by his own family.

His family. Laufey had cast him aside, and Odin was a liar even better than he was. Thor would kill him if his true heritage was revealed. In that, Loki would agree with him. Monsters always fall to the hero, in the end.

Monster. That is what he was. He was a weapon-a tool-meant to bring peace to the Nine Realms. Yet here he was-a disappointment to the very end.

xxx

 _You were meant to bring peace, weren't you?_

 _Yes._

 _So do it. A monster is not a monster, if it does not choose to be._

xxx

Laufey was dead. The Bifrost was shattered. And Loki clung to Gungnir, trying to hold on to his life.

"I could've done it Father!" He shouts. "For you, for all of us!"

And Odin looked at him, no emotion evident in his eye. "No, Loki." He said.

Loki knew in that moment that he failed. Failed to bring peace by killing the monsters, and failed to be a son, and a brother.

What use was there for a failure?

What use was there for a monster?

In that moment, he made a choice. Loki thought of his life, every lie he'd said and every one he'd been told.

And with that, he fell.

xxx

 _Marvelous job, my darling. But your work is not done yet._

 _Who are you?_

 _I am your master. And you, my weapon, still have Realms to wreak havoc upon._

 _xxx_

AN: So that was the second chapter! There's not much Hela in it, but I wanted to show little bits and pieces of Loki's childhood all the way up to the first Thor movie. In case anyone was confused, the italics in the beginning was Loki, the second set is Hela, the third is Hela, then Loki, then Hela again. The rest follow that same pattern. Anyway, I hoped everyone enjoyed this! The next chapters will definitely explore what happens with Loki in the Avengers and the Dark World. I loved comments more than anything. Thank you!


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